Short Stories 2015-2020 Collection

Hero's Journey Myth

Clara: Sound for a Cure

Belief is what shapes who we are most of the time, and when that belief is tested everything can change for better or for worse. We've got to learn to accept that change or else it will affect us for a long time. In a small village called Burgsbarrow Clara was born, daughter of Apollo and her human mother Katrina. She's always excelled in the arts (which is to be expected because of her father), but sometimes we have to take risks that we aren't sure we can confront.

It was a very rough year in Burgs Barrow. Flowers barely bloomed, and trees were barren. A deadly illness began to spread around, causing many to not recover. It didn't come as a surprise when Clara's mother fell ill. There was no known cure which made Clara's fear of being alone possibly become a reality soon.

Legend tells of an elixir that could get rid of any drop of illness. It could be found on Ember Island. Ember Island was one everyone feared. Cyclops, and three headed dogs roamed the island. Most can't even get past the famous cyclops, Polyphemus.

Once Clara learned there might be a way to save her mother, she got ready to journey off. She hesitates to go because she doesn't want to leave her mother and come back to find out she's gone. Clara knows that she has to go or else her mother would die for sure. So she decides to take the risk.

At midday, she leaves Burgsbarrow hoping to come home soon. Just as Clara was getting closer to the island she was too focused on getting to the island that she fell off a nearby cliff down into the ocean below. Seeing this Asclepius, god of medicine, and Posedian found her on the beach of Ember Island.

Asclepius heals her, and she wakes up, "Hello dear one." He says catching her attention.

"What happened?"

"You fell off a cliff into the ocean. Now you're on Ember Island shore. We've come to help."

Deep down, Clara didn't know if she should trust them or not; They did save her life though...

"Okay." She says, clearing her voice. The wind around them picked up as if it had a mind of its own. The real challenge has begun.

"Here is a map to the cure located in Fluffy's Cavern. Be careful, the three headed dogs don't take kindly to visitors." Asclepius tells her to hand over a small scroll.

"I will provide a way off the island. Come back here after you find the cure. I will have a Sea Dragon waiting to take you back to the coast near Burg Barrow. Now, hurry young one. You don't have long." Posedian says, and just like that they vanish into thin air as if they weren't ever there to begin with.

The first thing Clara has to face is the cyclops Polyphemus near the entryway of Fluffy's Cavern. She doesn't know how to get past the cyclops but she knows there must be a way. She'll have to do whatever she can to get the cure for her mother.

Hiding behind a few boulders, she quietly watches Polyphemus who decided it was a good time for a nap. Clara decides to sneak past the cyclops, but almost into the cavern she hears a gigantic stomp. Her heart stops, she's unable to move. Too scared to see what's awakened behind her. Should she run? Or face her fear herself?

She slowly turns around to see Polyphemus staring back at her, "Where do you think you're going little girl?" He asks, picking her up. Barely able to move, Clara kicks her boot off her foot into Polyphemus's eye. He lets out a loud scream dropping Clara.

"I-I-I can't see!!" He says angrily. Clara turns around dashing into the cavern. Once she was a few miles into Fluffy's Cavern she reached the three headed dogs. There were five 3 headed dogs. 15 heads all together. The cure awaited her past the dogs.

She knows that one wrong move would end up not so pleasant. She can't fail now. She's come so far, she needs to believe that this is actually happening right now. Without her belief she's as good as dead. Clara sneaks past the 3 headed dogs slowly.

Once she gets to the other side she looks around. The cure was sitting on a small pedestal in the middle of the room in a small glass bottle. Clara grabs it relieved that she finally got it.

Once she gets back to the beach, Clara gets on the Sea Dragon that Posedian left for her. "I did it. Hold in there mom, I'm almost home." She whispers.

Clara's done the impossible, something that she never thought that she would do. Sometimes you need to make things happen or else it will just get worse. She realized that if she didn't go find that cure then her mother would be dying, but now she gets to live. Back at home she helps out other sick villagers making everyone in the town feel way better.